Just a Reflex
by KoHaNa-ChAn20
Summary: Overhearing everyone's plans for a dangerous mission that she absolutely must participate in, she's crestfallen that nobody's said a word of sympathy. But not as crestfallen as getting sent back in time by a jutsu gone wrong. How is Sakura gonna do this?


**Gwyn: Okay, **_**one.**_** I am really, reeeeaaally sorry. I just wanted to let you know that- since it's holidays for me now, I **_**might **_**have more chapters to update. And- argh, I know right? Starting a new story just like that? I'll update my other stories (when I find time, hopefully) but I just wanted to try a ninja fic out. I didn't want to make it **_**that **_**dramatic so I didn't let everyone die in the future. You know, just made them all a bit, **_**selfish.**_** If you call it like that anyway. **

**Well, I hope you enjoy and know that Naruto (sadly) ain't mine (or else I would **_**totally **_**make the [hot hot hot hot] 4****th**** hokage, hokage again! Sorry, Tsunade!) and that I don't own time travel fics. I wasn't the genius that came up with making Sakura time travel back and show how kickass she was- **_**but, **_**I **_**am**_** the idiot who's focused on a new story instead of the other stories. **

**-audience chucks tomatoes- **

**I'm **_**really **_**sorry again! **

* * *

**X**

x

**Making sense **

(because nothing seems to make sense nowadays…)

x

**X**

It was on that day that everything seemed to make no sense at all.

Her teammate, like her own brother- had betrayed her. Her best friend, the piggy that had taught her how to bloom into what she was now- had done so too.

Every one of them did.

_Flashback_

"_If….if we give up Sakura, then Konoha will be safe." Neji repeated what he had heard from the snake-sannin. "Give her up, and he'll leave Konoha in peace."_

_Sakura's eyes widened. 'N-no way! Am I really hearing this? Even though I'd agree to saving them- even though…' tears started to prick her eyes as she tried her best to focus on concealing her chakra, '-somebody should at least say something!'_

_Then, she heard Hinata's soft, gentle voice, "We can't just throw Sakura-chan away like that…she's one of us, remember? She's hel-" the sound that interrupted the pearl-eyed girl sounded like whiplash to Sakura's ears. The pinkette immediately turned around and looked at the gathering of the entire rookie nine but herself and (obviously) Sasuke. Naruto…had slapped her? Sakura's eyes widened, shivers ran through her body all at once refusing to believe that__** that **__had just happened. No way- Naruto….Naruto __**loved **__Hinata, right?_

"_Hold on Naruto- don't you hit Hina-" Ino began until she was interrupted by Neji. _

"_She __**is **__one of us. That's why we have to decide this like ninjas do. This is the only way we can defend our village, and if Orochimaru wants Sakura- we have no choice or he'll attack." _

_For what seemed like hours, none of them spoke. _

"_Why does he want her, I wonder…?" Shikamaru trailed off, looking down at his feet. Ino stared at him, and looked down at her feet too._

"_What are you thinking, Shika-kun? Do you also think that we should…you know?" she asked, not bearing to say it._

_The lazy boy now stared at her seriously, "I don't think we have a chance. Orochimaru said he'd stay away from the village __**and **__even hand over Sasuke, for the price that Tsunade's only apprentice go back with him for reasons we're not to know of. We can either risk it or play safe." He murmured, looking away from the blonde who was now biting her lip. _

"_I say we risk it. Sakura's strong enough to handle this bastard, she's Tsuande's apprentice. We'll track her, and then bust out Orochimaru's hideout." Tenten spoke twirling around her kunai. Kiba agreed, suggesting that Akamaru and him could easily do it, as well as the two Byakuugan holders. _

_Sakura slumped against the tree stump and looked down at her shaky hands, shadowing her eyes. 'Why…hasn't Naruto said anything, I wonder…?"_

"_Deciding this without Sakura-chan, I don't think it's fair. But Kakashi and I had discussed about this already weeks ago, and he agrees too. It's better if we have Sasuke in our village while Sakura-chan plans to expose Orochimaru. Someone-someone should go with her though. So I'll go." The quiet blonde told the rest of them. Naruto sounded dejected, surprising Sakura. 'And weeks ago…just how long was I kept in the dark?' she thought suddenly. 'Even Kakashi-sensei…had known.'_

_Hinata grabbed his arm and shook her head breathing heavily, "N-no! No way, Naruto-kun! You can't just go like that- who knows…who knows what Orochimaru will do to the holder of the Kyuubi? It's- it's better if we just go along…go along with Tenten's idea!" she bit out, shutting her eyes, not wanting to let go of Naruto. Sakura gulped, 'That's right…she loves him very much. I- I should show myself and agree…especially for their sake.' she thought closing her eyes. The thought of not being able to see Sasuke first, though….that-…now __**that **__was something else. It irritated her so much._

_Naruto's eyebrows scrunched up and he had bitten his lip to stop from saying something unnecessary, "But-"_

"_Hinata's right. You're going to be future Hokage too so it's better if you stay here." Neji interrupted, looking at Shikamaru for some help. "I think we should vote." _

_Shikamaru nodded avoiding Ino's watery eyes. _

"_Who votes for doing this another way…?"_

"_And- who votes for giving Sakura Haruno to Orochimaru?"_

"…"

"_Then it's decided. Sakura Haruno will be taking part in this mission."_

_End of Flashback_

* * *

How could they just _do _that? She shrieked and punched another one of the many trees she had pounded that morning. They haven't spoken a word to her since. Not even _Naruto. _Hell yeah, she'd have agreed with it but- couldn't they have discussed this _with _her? It _was _to do with her in the first place.

She felt a familiar chakra presence and bit her already bruised lips. Her hands looked torn, as she hadn't channelled any chakra through her punches. And seeing as this had gone on for about two days, it was obvious Shizune was here to ask her if she'd want it healed by the piggy lover.

"Sakura," Shizune called out to her, "everyone's worried. You hadn't appeared for 2 days, so they were all wondering where you'd went. Seems like they have something important to-"

The painful smile on the pinkette had forced Shizune to stop her sentence. The sad eyes…did the girl know?

"You know too, don't you Shizune?" she asked, her voice wavering from crying too much. "That I have to be traded?"

Shizune's eyes widened. No…was this how the girl saw it? "Sakura- _no! _I mean- _yes._ I know about the mission but there's no way we'd see it as trading you. Everyone had just thought that it was the best option. They were going to tell you today so I-"

"So you came to get me. That's the only thing that's made sense so far." Sakura bit out, "The only_ single_ damn thing. Naruto hasn't spoken to me in almost 2 weeks. It's only rather a 'Hey, Sakura-chan' or 'Gomen-ne…Tsunade-baa-chan is calling me again…'. I'd agree to it, that _mission_- you know that. But Sasuke-kun…is finally returning. And, the day he's welcomed back- I'm walking next to the very same person who had taken him away from us back to whatever place he's taking me. Do you know the _urge _to just walk back? The feeling of knowing he's _right _behind you?" she gasped, falling to the ground from her shaky knees and held her head.

"I'm just…selfish, for sounding like this." She whispered, bowing her head.

Shizune looked at the girl sorrowfully and jumped down the high branch to kneel down in front of the pinkette. "Sakura…I'm really sorry. Hearing what you said just now, I feel the amount of guilt I should be feeling. We should talk about this with Tsunade though, don't you think?"

"Kakashi-sensei knew…she must've known as well, right? I overheard…I overheard _everything _of what Naruto and the rest were talking about. Why wasn't I the first to be told of this, I wondered. I waited _two whole weeks _to be told. And _none _of you guys had told me. Were you leaving it up to my last three days? Or had you just suddenly decided?" Sakura asked, tears slowly running down her face.

"Sakura…" Shizune trailed off, "-I have a new mission for you, then." She told the girl, making a few difficult hand signs.

"Piggy **(a/n: anyone know the name…? Because that'd be a big help ;D) **will allow me to let you see through glimpses of the past. To see pictures from when you were only genin. I'm counting on you to give a full report." She told the girl.

Sakura looked up at her, confused. "But what's the point of that? It wouldn't get us anywhere."

Shizune smiled knowingly, "I know. But it's the least I can do. I'll allow you to see glimpses of the Sasuke you knew back then, as a thankyou present for saving Konoha. Just don't tell Tsunade, okay? Our little secret." She made a 'shh' sign, winking at Sakura.

The pink-haired girl sat there speechless. That would be…_great! _

After a few minutes, the word had begun to fade a bit; white and murky-

Until something shot at Shizune. _Then, _everything began to change. The lady collapsed on the ground, a needle to her neck as pig jumped out of her arms, accidentally slipping into the jutsu.

Sakura, happening to catch the pig, now tried running towards the girl, but it was almost like the jutsu was sucking her into a big, black, hole. Where had the white gone?

'A hidden…chakra? Shizune, _Shizune!_ Hold on, I'm trying my best to run…!' Sakura thought, running out of breath. She pumped even more chakra to her feet, needing to know what happened to her good friend. Piggy oinked with her thoughts and the last thing she could hear, was Shizune's voice;

"No…the jutsu…has…gone wrong…that's…time-"

* * *

"OINK_!" _squeaked the piggy frantically jumping up and down on Sakura's belly.

The emerald eyed teen groaned then froze, letting the last moments come back to her. The mission, the present, Shizune…

'_Shizune!' _she thought worried, looking around her surroundings. '_Oh god. I'm in a forest, but I don't remember that much trees here- I'd pounded them all!' _

She stood up rapidly, accidentally causing the pig to fall. "Ah, sorry! Umm…but would you have a clue to what's going on here?" she asked it. The piggy opened its mouth and shut it again, squeezing its eyes shut. Sakura raised an eyebrow at it, "You…can't speak? Is it the jutsu?" she asked, watching it eagerly nod its head. "Well…we gotta find Shizune. What had happened?" the girl looked around again frantically.

She managed to get back to the hot springs that had been beside the forest she had torn apart. Walking on the water, she finally noticed her reflection and automatically lost focus, making a loud splash. Biting back her scream she paddled her way to edge and heaved herself (and the piggy that was clinging to torso…poor pig) back up.

This was a joke, right? Did that have something to do with the jutsu Shizune wanted her to write a report about? No…it couldn't be because the jutsu had gone wrong…

"Do you know anything about this, piggy? Does this have _anything _to do with the justu?" she asked. The piggy twisted its eyebrow in confusion. Seemed like it didn't have a clue as well.

Just then someone had been thrown out of the women's hot springs, a few yells of 'You _pervert!' _following the old man. "Ah-ow…that _hurt. _I needed it for my book, damnit. It's called research." He grumbled, then a sleezy look coming back on his face. "Or…I could try _again._" But just before he was about to, he'd heard his name being called out.

"Jiraiya?" shrieked Sakura. Oh, how Naruto would have _loved _to see his old, perverted, sensei back alive and kicking (or shall we just say 'peeking').

"Hm?" He looked around, suddenly his eyes falling on her. "You know if you grow up, you'd become _very _beautiful. But right now, I can't do research on a young girl like you. Now if you excuse me-"

"I wasn't _suggesting _research. I was hoping…" she trailed off in search for words. What could she say? That she was from the _future? _That he's supposed to be dead? 'Just keep it simple, Sakura. _Simple.' _"-I was hoping you'd know the name of the Hokage we have now."

Jiraiya raised his eyes at her and sweat dropped, "Rookie's these days. Tch. Can't remember a _thing,_ can they? -We have Sarutobi as Hokage now, kid. Had him ever since…well, yeah whatever. Now run along now. It's almost 8pm, shouldn't you be going back home?" he began to turn around again until she grabbed his arm,

"One more favour, could you whack me on the head?" she gulped nervously, wishing this was a dream. If the jutsu Shizune had made went wrong because of that interference, then wouldn't that mean she was unknowingly _sent _back in time, for real?

The old man twitched, "What do you take me for, little girl? What's your name?" Jiraiya questioned with a bewildered face. This girl wasn't poisoned was she?

She stared at him thinking, and then replied, "If I tell you, will you whack me on the head like I asked you to?"

The older man sighed, lifting up his hand- "What's the third Hokage thinking?"

"_Oww!" _was heard throughout Konoha that evening.

* * *

"Stop glaring at me like that, you asked me to whack you on the head right? And anyway, don't you have parents?" Jiraiya asked pouring some tea for the girl.

Sakura was about to reply no, remembering her parents death when reality hit her- she was back to when she was 12 years old for goodness' sake. Of _course, _they'd still be alive! Snapping out of her ecstatic thoughts, she coughed at the awkward look on the sannin's face. "W-why yes I do. _Alive._" She stated proudly.

Jiraiya rose another eyebrow at her, "You're weirder than I thought. Now go home after you've finished tea. I have some few women coming around this evening." He told her smugly.

Sakura sighed, "Some things never change," she mumbled remembering the pervert from the future too well.

"What did you say?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at her, "Have you perhaps…" Sakura gulped at the long pause, '_No! What would Jiraiya do if I told him I'm from the future? Surely he'd ask…what would __**happen**__. And- I don't think I can exactly __**tell **__him that he's -'_

"-stalked me?" He finished, waiting for her to answer.

She looked at him confused, "W-what? I kind of spaced out."

"I _said, _do you perhaps _stalk _me. I mean, I wouldn't blame you for choosing an awesome guy like me but-"

The pink-haired girl fell down comically and glared at him, "No _way! _Who'd stalk a guy like _you, _old man? I happen to know a _lot _of things." She told him, grinning. "Like how I know of _Tsunade._"

He stared at her unbelieving and pointed at her trying his best to not laugh, "_You…_know Tsunade? Well, course, I always figured she was-well, crazy. But only when it came to beating me up. Don't believe you- however, let's just say you _do _know of her, by stalking means of course but-…how is she?" he asked her trying to hide his curiosity.

She grinned slyly, "Well aren't _you _curious? She's-" the emerald eyed girl stopped and gestured towards the window. "Naruto…?" without a second thought, she bolted in the open air to track her old team mate. _'_What's he _doing_? Carrying a sacred scroll out in the open like that- there's no way that the Hokage doesn't know of this yet. Leaf ninjas must already be on-…._crap._' she cursed quietly and made numbers of clones that split up to hinder some of the ninjas that were most likely after her blonde friend at this very second.

"Naruto, you _baka!_" she grumbled, frustrated.

* * *

Sakura hadn't lost track of her team mate, but she knew if she got too close someone would suspect her of knowing about whatever plan he was doing. Speaking of which, what was he _thinking? _And how weak were those leaf ninjas? They hadn't even _found _him, besides Iruka sensei.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" someone behind her asked lazily. Turning around she saw the lazy pine-apple haired boy, she had been cursing about a few days ago.

'_We don't have a choice…we have to tell Sakura in 2 weeks time that she's going to have to go on this mission. She's the only one Orochimaru wants and that way, we'll get back Uchiha Sasuke __**and **__safety for Konoha. Is that clear?' _

His voice still rang through her mind, unconsciously making her glare at him. "What do you mean?" she forced out, trying to hide her fists behind her back. "Isn't this a public _area?_"

He looked at her for a moment (probably contemplating about how weird women were) and shrugged, "Well look around you, it's the men's toilet. And last time I checked, you aren't exactly a 'man'."

She blushed and looked around her, finding that he was right. She turned around and made her way to the door.

Wherever Naruto was, she wouldn't interfere anymore. Why would she after what he had done to her a few weeks ago? After what all of _them _had done?

"I _knew _that, already. I was- looking for someone. None of your business." She told him, fighting back the urge to kick where it hurt. Sakura knew that even if she _was _back in the future, going on '_that mission'_ would probably be the best option for everyone in Konoha. She was practically the only one thinking selfishly here but- she'd at least expect some sort of 'Sakura….you don't have to do it if you want to. I mean- you _are _going to have to put up with that creepy asshole' kind of remark.

But no, there was _no one _who had bothered saying that to her. In reality, they had done their daily jobs til the three days she had left. It was just _then_ that they were going to tell her.

"_Naruto_...I was kind of expecting that from you, at least." She mumbled looking down at her hands.

"Sakura! You little- tomorrow's your graduation day and you hadn't even come back _home _from yesterday! Do you know how _worried _we were?" yelled her mother from the door of the house.

Looks like her feet brought her here, but what was fate going to bring her next? She was finally back in the past where she could-

"Oh wow- holy _crap!_ I know what I'm going to do now!" she yelled excitedly. She'd stop everything from happening; a war most likely, I mean who was gullible enough to believe Orochimaru's proposal of 'I won't lay a _hand _on Konoha'? He was probably going to use Mist and the few remaining Akatsuki members (good luck with that) to go against Konoha.

Her mother threw a radish (where it came from, anyway) at the unfocused pinkette and yelled one more time, "_Yes! _What you are going to do is _get _inside and receive your punishment! I mean, one whole _day, _Sakura! You were gone like _that! _Who knows-"

And that's how Sakura's first day of the past was like.

"Mom- I missed you a lot!" she shrieked hugging the older pink-haired lady.

"What- where were you? Some kind of Wonderland?"

'_The __**future**__' _Sakura thought then laughed aloud, '_that sounds too cheesy to believe, though'. _"Who knows mom? All I know is that everything's going to go _just _fine now."

_Now, _everything was making sense.

* * *

**Gwyn: Short? I know that too well. But I want some motivation, you know where I'm getting at? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.**

**If you don't I'm begging you to cliiiick that button right at the bottom and review! **

**Just click it, because you know you want to (; **

_Hanako._

And if you got any ideas just pm me cause I'm dying to talk to someone about Naruto neeearly turning into the nine-tailed fox until the [hot hot hot hot] 4th Hokage came and stopped him from ripping off that seal! –Insert squeal-

_**CLICK IT (:**_


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